Meeting in the Middle
by Mylari
Summary: Another alternate version of the Bridge Over the River Chozzerai episode of Lion Voltron. Told through the eyes of Keith, Lance, and Allura.
1. Keith

Another take on the love bridge episode...

WEP owns everything but the voices in my head.

Special thanks to Desert Fox for pre-reading and coming up with the title for me!

* * *

It's another quiet day on planet Arus. We're all gathered in the sitting room chatting over afternoon tea. Allura starts to talk about how happy her people are that we are here and how much progress has been made in restoring her world. "Just look, this fine new bridge has just been completed… One of our most famous legends is the beautiful story of the love bridge which is said to have existed right in that very same place." She goes on to tell us of a legend of lovers from warring kingdoms kept apart by that very river and how desperately they tried to find a way across to be with each other. "Then one day, something very special happened. The goddess of love decided to help them. So to bring them together, she created a magical bridge from the water."

"A great story Princess. I can see what inspired your people to rebuild that bridge so fast." I sip my tea and can't help but smile at her excitement.

"Tomorrow at the big dedication ceremony for the new bridge, we're going to reenact that old legend. I'm going to play the part of the young girl!" She's practically buzzing with excitement and I can't help but think how beautiful she is and how lucky her acting partner is going to be.

"That bridge is a real beauty." Hunk smiles at Allura. Her excitement is certainly infectious.

Pidge sighs, "Nothing could be as beautiful as the legend behind it." He goes a bit dreamy eyed and I worry that he's going to fall over or something.

"You'll see that story at the dedication tomorrow." She beams at us all.

Lance smirks. "Sounds like a show I wouldn't want to miss. The princess running from one end of the bridge, the young guy running from the other… Then they meet in the middle – and get all icky-sticky." He snickers and then asks the question that we've all been dying to ask. "Uh, who's going to get to play the part of the lucky young guy?"

"Why, of course, one of you." Uh-oh, this could create a problem. There is no way I can take part in this. I start thinking of a way to opt out.

"Well, I know you want somebody who comes on real macho, so I guess it's gotta be me." Leave it to Lance to be as subtle as a charging rhino and as modest as a neon sign.

"You need a big strong fellow with bulging muscles who's all heart." Well, that certainly describes Hunk.

"How about somebody loaded with personality?" I chuckle to myself. Pidge is still angling for a kiss from the princess any way he can get one. You've gotta give him credit for persistence…

"Keith?" At the sound of my name I look over and want to begin pleading my case as well, but I know that would be a bad idea.

"No thanks, I'll stay here in case an emergency comes up." Even as I say the words I know how ridiculous I sound. With the lions at the bridge site, I'd just cause a delay while I met up with them in an emergency. Oh well, I've already spoken and I don't have any better excuses to keep from being roped into this.

Now that we have narrowed down the options to play the young man, they have to figure out how to choose the winner. Pidge has a deck of cards, so the princess pulls three out and designates one to be the lucky card. They each draw one and take a look. It's immediately apparent who got the winning card. Lance is practically turning cartwheels across the room.

"So wanna rehearse Princess?" He waggles his eyebrows at her suggestively. Before I can growl a warning at him, she starts to giggle. Spirits are high and it's still early. Maybe I should call for hand to hand combat practice to burn off some of this energy. If I don't, who knows what mischief will result.

"Ok now that we've settled that bit of business, how about some sparring practice? We could all use a bit of exercise."

Allura has to have her costume fitted and attend to some royal obligations. Pidge and Hunk try to hide their disappointment and claim other responsibilities. I choose not to press the issue and make it a mandatory session. "Lance? You up for a few rounds?" I need to get his excitement levels down or there will be no living with him.

"Sure, why not? It will give me something to do until it's time to practice getting all icky-sticky with the princess." He smirks and winks at me and I growl in return.

We head down to the gym and he starts asking my opinion about different techniques he might employ. I pointedly ignore his ramblings as we change clothing and take our positions on the practice mats.

"Ready? Go!" We start grappling and rolling around on the floor.

"So did you get a load of the dress Allura's going to be wearing tomorrow? I took a peek and she's gonna be a knockout! I hope she leaves us enough time to work on getting the kiss to look as good as she will!" I start to lose my control and hit him a little harder than normal.

"So should I race to her or do you think a more stately jog is in order? Should I grab her and twirl her in my arms or sweep her off her feet? When we're done smooching would it look better to carry her back off the bridge or walk back hand in hand? Hey! Ow! What was that for?" I realize that I really walloped him that time. I guess I need to get some more energy out of my system too. I need to control myself and not let him get to me.

"Sorry, just trying to get you back into the here and now. You can worry about the princess later."

"Hey, you could have had a chance at the job yourself, Keith. Heck she probably would have just picked you outright if you had thrown your hat in the ring. She gets that same goofy grin when she looks at you that you get when you look at her."

"I have no idea what you are talking about Lance. But I have to give you credit for one heck of an imagination…" I renew my attack on him, but he just won't leave it alone.

"Are you seriously telling me that you have no desire to kiss her? I don't buy that for a second, Keith. Be honest now…"

"I'm not saying that she isn't beautiful, but she's a princess and I'm not royalty. Even if I wanted more, it could never happen. Why must you always go there, Lance?"

"Ow! I'd be more likely to believe you if you weren't trying to kill me right now. If you really meant what you just said, this wouldn't be bothering you so much. Just admit it for once. You're allowed to have feelings ya know."

"Last warning," I growl at him. "One more word and Red Lion is the target at practice for the next month." I launch another attack and catch him off guard. He falls awkwardly and lets out a yelp.

"You OK?" I stand up and reach down to help him regain his footing, but he can't seem to put any weight on his left foot. "Damn, let's get you to Doc Gorma and have that ankle checked out." I pull his arm over my shoulders and support him around the waist. We slowly hobble to the hospital wing. As they take Lance back to run some tests, I head back to my room to clean up and get dressed for dinner.

Later I head to the dining room and one by one everyone arrives. Lance gets there last aided by a pair of crutches. I should never have let him get to me like that. I need to learn to control my emotions better. "Lance, I'm sorry. I feel terrible, how bad is it?"

"It's just a sprain, but the pain killers are fabulous!" He starts giggling and I realize that he may not remember this an hour from now. I'll apologize to him again later when he's more coherent…

"Oh, no!" Allura looks at Lance with a panicked expression on her face.

"What is it Princess?" I look around for signs of danger.

"Lance is hurt. He can't run like that. How is he going to be a part of the ceremony tomorrow?"

"No, I'll be fine Princess. Doc Gorma told me to come back in the morning and he'd take another look. He didn't seem to think it was that bad."

After dinner we all head off to bed. At breakfast in the morning, Lance is still on crutches. Damn. Allura's gonna kill me for ruining her plans.

"Sorry Princess, it looks like I'm not going to be able to take part today after all. So how about we just go for it right now instead?" I really hope that is the pain killers talking and not him. I'd like to think even he wouldn't say something like that under normal circumstances, but I can't be sure.

"Oh, Lance…" She looks at him, then back at me, and then at him once more. A gleam forms in her eye and I'm not sure that I like where this is going. "Keith, since you and Lance are about the same size, how about you take his place today? There really isn't time to have another costume made and I don't want to disappoint everyone…"

Damn! I gulp and look around the room. "What about him?" I point to a guard walking past the room. "I think he's about the same size as Lance."

"No Keith, the people want one of the Voltron Force to take part in this. It's going to have to be you. Please?" She bats those baby blues at me and I'm helpless. I can't say no to her now.

I sigh and nod. "Alright Princess, I'll take his place." Now I have to figure out how to get through this…

We go get into our costumes and head to the bridge. Before we get out of our lions, I contact castle control for a final check in. Lance is manning the sensors. "Hiya bud! Ready for your big moment?"

"Lance? I thought you were off duty nursing that ankle?" I'm starting to suspect that he's up to something.

"Yeah, about that… Well… ummm… heh… I really didn't sprain it. I faked it."

"**WHAT**? Why? I thought you were so excited to do this with the Princess."

"I was, but I thought it was more important for you to have the opportunity. I bet you'll thank me later."

"We'll discuss this when I get back, Lance. I don't have time now. The Princess is waiting…" I glare at him as I break the connection. Making Red Lion target at practice for eternity doesn't seem like punishment enough for his little stunt.

I get out of Black Lion and wait on the far side of the bridge while she makes her speech and tells the story. She's really enjoying herself and I can't help but grin. It's nice to see her so happy. I stop thinking about Lance and concentrate on her.

She turns and faces me across the bridge. At her nod, we both start running for the middle of the bridge. My plan is to kiss her cheek and head off the bridge as quickly as possible. When we reach the center, I open my arms and much to my surprise; she leaps in the air and jumps into my embrace. Caught off guard, I instinctively catch her and our impetus sends me spinning. As I twirl her around, I move to kiss her cheek, but our momentum doesn't give me much ability to aim. Our lips meet and the feeling is electric. I finally come to a standstill and break the kiss. Our faces only inches apart, I can see that her cheeks are flushed and there is a huge smile on her lips. Before I can say anything, her hand snakes up into my hair and she draws my head down to kiss her again. Finally we come up for air and it looks like Lance won't be the only one I need to have a conversation with.

"Princess?" I can't bring myself to form any other words much less coherent thoughts.

"I've been wondering what that would be like for a while…" She glances up at me shyly.

"And?"

She just smiles, takes my hand and leads me off the bridge. I follow numbly with a huge grin on my face. I can only imagine that I must look like Lance when he drew the winning card. Thinking of Lance, maybe he doesn't deserve to be punished after all, well maybe just a little...


	2. Lance

The same story as before, but this time from Lance's point of view...

WEP owns everything except the voices in my head...

* * *

"So to bring them together, she created a magical bridge from the water." Allura finishes telling us the story behind the bridge that her people have just rebuilt. I wonder if there is a point to this or if we're just having story time with our tea.

"A great story Princess. I can see what inspired your people to rebuild that bridge so fast." Keith has been hanging on her every word. He may not be willing to admit it, but our captain is smitten with the lovely princess of Arus. I start to think of ways to have fun with this.

Allura goes on to tell us about the ceremony that they have planned for tomorrow. They are going to reenact the story. Then she drops a bombshell on us. She's going to play the young girl. I wonder how she convinced Nanny and Coran to go along with this. Then my mind turns to something more important. Who gets to kiss her and how do I get my name to the top of that list? I see her glance at Keith repeatedly while she talks about how excited she is to be part of this. I wonder if she is trying to get him to volunteer or if she is waiting for him to try to prevent her from participating. I so need to be the one to kiss her… I could have so much fun tormenting him…

Hunk and Pidge gush over the bridge and the story behind it. Whatever. Time to get to the heart of the matter… First I smirk at Keith just to see if he's paying attention, after all it's not every day that I get to push his buttons. Oh wait, maybe it is. But it's not every day that I get to tease him about a girl. OK time to get this show in motion. "Sounds like a show I wouldn't want to miss. The Princess running from one end of the bridge, the young guy running from the other…" I make some silly hand gestures to represent the running figures. "Then they meet in the middle" I pause for dramatic effect as I make sure everyone is paying attention, "and get all icky-sticky." I grin and decide to up the ante by asking the million dollar question. "Uh, who's going to get to play the part of the lucky young guy?" I fully expect to hear her utter Keith's name, but instead she says it's going to be one of the four of us. In that case…

"Well, I know you want somebody who comes on real macho, so I guess it's gotta be me." Keith gives me a look that pretty much confirms my earlier suspicions. He's gonna be fun to mess with today no matter who the princess chooses to kiss. I start thinking of all the ways to tease him later.

Hunk starts talking about muscles and heart then Pidge rattles off some nonsense about personality. As much as I like the little guy, I think he'd have a heart attack if she did pick him. Allura turns to our captain, converting his name to a question. He's been quiet this whole time. I wonder what selling point he'll use to get her to choose him. Not that I think he'll have a hard sell there. I'm at a loss to figure out which one of them is more smitten with the other. He surprises me by begging off with a lame excuse of needing to stay behind in case of emergency. Who does he really think is buying this? She accepts his answer, but her disappointment shows for a split second before she schools her expression.

OK, so it's down to me, Hunk, and Pidge. I have this all wrapped up. She'd be crazy to pick one of them over me. Keith was my only competition and he forfeited. I get ready to offer my condolences to the losers when she decides to be all fair about it. Drawing cards of all things… I reach into my jacket pocket and rub my lucky rabbit's foot. We each pick our cards and WOO-EE thank you bunny! Now, I not only get to kiss the princess, but I also get to tease Keith about his crush on her. Talk about Lance's lucky day! I can't control my excitement and begin to bounce around the room.

"So wanna rehearse Princess?" I leer at her suggestively while giving her my goofiest grin. I can feel Keith's eyes boring into me and just when I know he's about to call me on my inappropriate behavior; Allura erupts into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. He backs down, but I can see that his mind is working at warp speed.

"Ok now that we've settled that bit of business, how about some sparring practice? We could all use a bit of exercise." Keith may be talking to the room at large, but his unblinking stare doesn't leave me. Yep there's definitely an exposed nerve there just waiting for me to poke at it.

Allura's got some other obligations and the runners up find excuses to decline as well. That just leaves me and Keith and an hour or so in the gym. This gives me the perfect opportunity to rib him a bit in private. When he asks me if I am interested, I decide to test the waters with a small opening jab. "Sure, why not? It will give me something to do until it's time to practice getting all icky-sticky with the princess." I smirk and wink at him on my way out of the room. I'm rewarded by a low growling sound as he follows me out. This is going to be easy…

I keep up the chatter as we reach the locker room and change. He's doing a good job of ignoring me, he has had plenty of practice after all, but I can tell I'm starting to get to him because his face is starting to take on the color of his shirt. We all think she's cute. Why can't he just admit it already?

Once we start wrestling, I decide to poke at him again. "So, did you get a load of the dress Allura's going to be wearing tomorrow? I took a peek and she's gonna be a knockout! I hope she leaves us enough time to work on getting the kiss to look as good as she will." He punches me in the ribs with a force he rarely uses in practice. I think I hit a nerve. Let's see just how bad our fearless captain has it for the princess.

"So, should I race to her or do you think a more stately jog is in order?" This time his kick makes contact with my thigh hard enough that I know I'm going to have a bruise later. Oh well, might as well earn my lumps. "Should I grab her and twirl her in my arms or sweep her off her feet?" Wow, he must really have it bad. His blows are still increasing in intensity. Might as well go for the death blow no matter how much pain it will bring me. He's got a really intense look in his eyes, but I've never backed down from him before…"When we're done smooching, would it look better to carry her back off the bridge or walk back hand in hand? Hey! Ow!" That proved it. This isn't just a crush for Keith. I think he genuinely loves her. I might have to rethink things here. As an idea takes form in my head he apologizes, sort of.

"Sorry, just trying to get you back to the here and now. You can worry about the princess later."

"Hey, you could have had a chance at the job yourself, Keith. Heck, she probably would have just picked you outright if you had thrown your hat in the ring. She gets that same goofy grin when she looks at you that you get when you look at her." Why won't he just admit it already? What's he so worried about? Can't he see that she feels the same way about him? Just how blind can he possibly be?

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Lance." Oh chief, denial ain't just a river and you've lost your paddle a while back… "But I have to give you credit for one heck of an imagination." And I give you credit for sticking with your story, but you have to know that I won't let this go. The wildness and force behind his blows tells me that he's near the edge. Either he'll finally admit it, or he's gonna knock my head right off my shoulders. Well here goes nothing. No one has ever accused Lance of backing down from a threat…

"Are you seriously telling me that you have no desire to kiss her? I don't buy that for a second, Keith. Be honest now…" C'mon man, just say it and I'll back down and leave it alone. Just prove you're human…

"I'm not saying that she isn't beautiful, but she's a princess and I'm not royalty. Even if I wanted more, it could never happen." Never say never mon capitan, not while ole Lance is on the job. "Why must you always go there, Lance?" Why? Because you won't Keith… because you won't…

"Ow! I'd be more likely to believe you if you weren't trying to kill me right now." That last shot really tagged me hard. He always backs down by this point when I rib him about stuff. "If you really meant what you said, this wouldn't be bothering you so much. Just admit it for once. You're allowed to have feelings ya know."

His growl of warning tells me that I might have gone just a *little* too far. "Last warning… One more word and Red Lion is the target at practice for the next month." Boy I really hit home with that last jibe. I think he's actually seeing red now. I know he stopped pulling his punches a while back. If I'm not careful he's really going to hurt me. That's it – the final piece of the plan clicks into place. Keith – it's time to face your feelings for the princess…

He comes at me again and I put my plan into motion. I let him hit me and drop to the mat letting out a cry of pain in the process.

"You OK?" He's got a look of sincere concern on his face as he reaches down to help me up. I hate doing this to him, but it's for his own good. I take his hand and let him pull me up, but I refuse to put any weight on my left foot. He swears and mutters something about getting me checked out by the doc. Then he pulls my arm over his shoulders and supports me around the waist. We hobble off and I keep my mouth shut because I need to concentrate on pretending that my left ankle is injured. I came close to stepping down on it normally a few times, but managed to catch myself at the last second each time. He just thinks that I jerked my foot back up in pain. We finally get to the hospital wing and he offers to come into the exam room with me. I decline and convince him to go get ready for dinner and I will meet him there. He reluctantly agrees and heads back to his room. Once I am sure he is out of earshot, I turn to Doc Gorma.

"Ok, here's the thing, doc. I'm not hurt. I just want him to think so. I need to get out of an obligation and this is my only way. Can I borrow some bandages and crutches for a day or two?"

Doc Gorma looks at me like I have a screw loose. "What are you up to this time, Lance? You know I won't help you get out of your job duties. Keith's ideas may not always be fun, but I'm sure he has reasons for whatever he assigned you to do."

"Oh, it's nothing like that, Scout's honor." I raise my hand and cross my heart. "Please?"

"Fine, but if I find out that you're using me to shirk your duties, your next physical will be more unpleasant than usual and Keith will get to be your nurse."

I gulp at the threat and reiterate my assurance that I'm not trying to get out of my job duties. He gives in, wraps my ankle, and provides me with a pair of crutches. I wander back to my room and take a long hot shower. Then I take my time getting dressed and rewrapping my ankle. Finally, I head to dinner once I am sure that I will be the last one there so my entrance has full effect.

I stop just before I get to the dining room and take a deep breath. Then I let it out. Alright Lance, time to get into character. I hobble into the room and all heads turn to watch me enter. Keith has a look of guilt and concern on his face. "Lance, I'm sorry. I feel terrible, how bad is it?"

"It's just a sprain, but the pain killers are fabulous." I let loose with a maniacal giggle just for good measure.

"Oh, no!" The princess goes into a panic and that just triggers Keith's protector mode. I don't think Voltron himself would be enough to protect anyone who tried to get past him in order to harm her. When he doesn't see anything remiss, he turns to her and asks what the problem is. She points out that my injury will prevent me from being in the dedication ceremony tomorrow. Before he can start coming up with alternatives, I chime in. "No, I'll be fine, Princess. Doc Gorma told me to come back in the morning and he'd take another look. He didn't seem to think it was that bad."

That appeases her for now and the rest of the night passes uneventfully. I take advantage of the situation by sleeping in the next morning instead of going to my fake doctor's appointment. I take my time getting ready. Then with ankle wrapped and crutches in hand; I glance at the clock one last time. I want to be the last one in the dining room again. I hobble in on my crutches with a forlorn look on my face. "Sorry Princess, it looks like I'm not going to be able to take part today after all." I can't help but get one more jab in at Keith though. I leer at her, waggling my eyebrows, and ask "So how about we just go for it right now instead?" She just gives me a look that tells me I'm barking up the wrong tree in the wrong forest so I sit down.

She lets out a soft sigh and just says, "Oh, Lance…" Then she looks at me and I see a twinkle form in her eye. She looks Keith up and down and then looks back at me. Good girl. She got there all on her own. "Keith, since you and Lance are about the same size, how about you take his place today? There really isn't time to have another costume made and I don't want to disappoint everyone."

The look of terror on his face is priceless. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from giggling. Please don't let him look at me or the jig is up. He visually gulps and scans the room. Finally he points to a guard wandering by and points out that he's about our size, but she's not going for it. "No Keith, the people want one of the Voltron Force to take part in this. It's going to have to be you. Please?" Between his guilt over my injury and her wistful look, he doesn't stand a chance.

Giving up, he sighs and nods. "Alright Princess, I'll take his place." He looks like he's just been given a death sentence instead of the chance to kiss a beautiful princess.

They leave the dining room to change before heading to the bridge in their lions. I go back to my room and wait until I know they are well on their way before I slip down to the medical ward to return the bandages and crutches. Then I stroll off to Castle Control. I want to see my handiwork first hand.

I wander in with my hands in my pockets and casually make my way to the command chair. Hunk and Pidge do a double take as I go past them. They stutter something about my crutches and stare at my foot.

"Oh, I didn't need the crutches anymore. Are they at the bridge yet?"

Pidge recovers first. "They just got there. Keith should be making a final check-in any second now."

"Thanks. Now would everyone mind leaving please? I'll check him in myself."

They all leave the room, but I know they won't go further than just around the corner of the doorway where they can eavesdrop. Whatever, it will all come out soon enough. Right on cue Keith makes the connection to control. I answer with the biggest, goofiest grin I can muster. "Hiya bud! Ready for your big moment?" His eyes threaten to pop out of his head and it's all I can do to keep a straight face.

"Lance? I thought you were off duty nursing that ankle?" His eyes narrow suspiciously.

I rub the back of my neck and sheepishly stammer, "Yeah, about that… Well… ummm… heh… I really didn't sprain it. I faked it."

"WHAT?" If that didn't generate a heart attack, he's immune… "Why? I thought you were so excited to do this with the princess." Since he's obviously not going to go into cardiac arrest, he might be planning to put me into that state later…

"I was, but I thought it was more important for you to have the opportunity. I bet you'll thank me later." His expression becomes unreadable, but I know he's imagining new and creative torture for me and my lion.

"We'll discuss this when I get back, Lance. I don't have time now. The Princess is waiting." He immediately disconnects and I know he's beyond pissed off at me. This is probably the biggest prank I've ever pulled on him.

I watch them get into position and half listen as Allura tells her story and makes her speech. Finally she turns to him and nods. They both head to the center of the bridge. As they near the middle, he opens his arms and she takes it as an invitation to launch herself. Go Princess! He catches her and spins in order to redirect the energy that would have toppled him over. Nice move. I file that one away for some lucky young lady in the future. They kiss and then come to a stop. She looks up at him and before he can react she pulls him in for another. Yep, they both have it bad. Ole Lance is never wrong about this stuff. They break the kiss and have a brief exchange before she takes him by the hand and leads him off the bridge. Based on the loopy grin he's wearing, I bet not only will I be forgiven, but that I'll be rewarded. Maybe they will even name their first kid after me…


	3. Allura

We've heard Keith's version. Then Lance gave us his take. Now the Princess gives us her version of how things happened.

As usual - WEP owns everything except the voices in my head...

* * *

As the team relaxes over tea in the observation lounge, I let them know how thankful my people are that they are here. Cities are being rebuilt and the Arusian people are thriving. I tell them all about the bridge over the river Chozzerai and how it's been rebuilt. There is a fable behind it and since the boys seem receptive, I regale them with the story of two lovers from warring kingdoms. All connections between the two lands have been severed so they have no way to cross the river and be together. Deciding to take matters into their own hands, the young couple throws stones into the river in an effort to build a bridge. "Then one day, something very special happened. The goddess of love decided to help them. So to bring them together, she created a magical bridge from the water." The tale ends happily as the lovers are united at last.

"A great story Princess. I can see what inspired your people to rebuild that bridge so fast." Keith sips his tea and sits back on the couch. I wonder how he'll react when he hears the reason I brought this up in the first place.

I am too excited to keep it to myself so, I just blurt it out. "Tomorrow at the big dedication ceremony for the new bridge, we're going to reenact that old legend. I'm going to play the part of the young girl!" Suddenly four sets of eyes are riveted to me. I smile at them each in turn. Just wait until they hear the rest of my news.

"That bridge is a real beauty." I can't help but agree with Hunk. The bridge that my people built is every bit as lovely as I imagine the fabled one looked.

Pidge sighs, "Nothing could be as beautiful as the legend behind it." He's such a romantic at heart. I beam at him in agreement.

I remind him that there will be a reenactment as part of the dedication tomorrow. I just can't stop grinning. I am so excited about the festivities planned for tomorrow and I am dying to share the rest of my good news. I fidget in my seat a bit as I try to drag this out a little longer.

Lance smirks. "Sounds like a show I wouldn't want to miss. The princess running from one end of the bridge, the young guy running from the other… Then they meet in the middle – and get all icky-sticky." He snickers and makes hand gestures and a funny face. I can't help but giggle at his antics. "Uh, who's going to get to play the part of the lucky young guy?"

"Why, of course, one of you." I glance at Keith hoping that he'll volunteer. He frowns thoughtfully and I wonder what's going through his mind.

Lance, on the other hand, practically jumps at the chance. "Well, I know you want somebody who comes on real macho, so I guess it's gotta be me." I smile at him as he winks at me.

"You need a big strong fellow with bulging muscles who's all heart." During the time they've been here, I've come to realize that Hunk really is nothing but a giant teddy bear.

"How about somebody loaded with personality?" Pidge certainly has enthusiasm on his side.

I turn back to our team captain. "Keith?" I look at him hopefully. Just offer to participate and I will claim that your rank lets you be the first to do something like this with me.

"No thanks, I'll stay here in case an emergency comes up." I try to hide my disappointment at his refusal. I let out a small sigh as I try to figure out a way to choose amongst the other three boys.

Pidge has a deck of cards, so I pull three and choose one to be the winning card. They each choose one and Lance bounces around the room in victory. He immediately propositions me in the most ridiculous way. Keith gives him a dirty look and I can't help but giggle at the whole scenario.

Keith suggests an afternoon sparring session, but I have too much to do. I have my costume fitting, some last minute arrangements for the ceremony tomorrow, and Coran has some correspondence or something that he insists needs my attention today. Hunk and Pidge also talk about other things that they need to take care of. Obviously Keith is feeling agitated about something because he doesn't give up at that point. "Lance? You up for a few rounds?"

"Sure, why not? It will give me something to do until it's time to practice getting all icky-sticky with the princess." I get the feeling he's going to be gloating about this all day. Keith gives him a stern look and I swear that I hear a growling sound as they leave the room. I shake my head and chuckle at their shenanigans. I may never understand boys…

I head to the tailor for my costume fitting and am thrilled with the dress. I twirl around and sing in front of the mirror. Nanny tuts at me and remarks that these antics are unbecoming of a princess. I calm down before she talks to Coran and they try to back out of letting me do this. Eventually the fitting is over and the dress is officially declared ready for tomorrow. Peeking at the outfit that Lance will be wearing I try to picture him in it, but my imagination substitutes Keith in his place. I shake my head and wander off to find Coran.

Two hours later and the stack of papers on my desk looks just as large as it did when I got here. "Coran, can't we take a break please? My eyes are crossing…" Before he can admonish me, I get a message from Doctor Gorma. Coran excuses himself and I take the call.

"Hello Doctor. Is everything OK?" I can't imagine what he would be calling me for.

"Princess. Yes everything is fine, but I wanted to bring something to your attention. Lance was just in here and I think he may be trying to shirk some of his duties. I would mention this to Keith, but it could be nothing. I thought you could keep an eye on things and help keep him honest."

"Alright Doctor Gorma. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for letting me know." I wonder what Keith could have assigned Lance to do that he wanted to avoid so badly. My stomach growls and I realize that it's nearly dinner time. Maybe I can figure out what Lance is up to there.

I get to the dining room and Keith is already there. I sit next to him and we wait for everyone else to get there. Slowly the others arrive one at a time, though I don't see Lance. I wonder what he's up to. Just then he makes his way in – on crutches? What's he doing on crutches?

Keith suddenly gets a guilty look on his face as he greets his wingman. "Lance, I'm sorry. I feel terrible, how bad is it?" I raise my eyebrow and wonder just what happened at their sparring session.

"It's just a sprain, but the pain killers are fabulous!" Lance begins giggling and I try to figure out what is going on. Could this have something to do with Doctor Gorma's call earlier?

"Oh, no!" I suddenly blurt out as the implications of Lance's crutches dawn on me.

"What is it Princess?" Keith is suddenly on guard and looking for assassins and kidnappers. He can take his job of providing my security a little too seriously sometimes, but I'm glad he does. I feel so much safer with him around.

"Lance is hurt. He can't run like that. How is he going to be a part of the ceremony tomorrow?" I look at Lance and swear I see a slight smirk try to cross his face. What is he up to?

"No, I'll be fine Princess. Doc Gorma told me to come back in the morning and he'd take another look. He didn't seem to think it was that bad." I accept his answer and we get on with dinner and the rest of the evening passes quietly.

Excitement for the day's events has me up before sunrise. I sing and dance around my room as I get dressed for breakfast. Even after stopping in the observation lounge to admire the view outside, I'm the first one to the table. I spend about ten minutes fidgeting and playing with my silverware before Keith comes in. He smiles and comes to sit next to me. "Morning, Princess."

I beam back at him. "Morning, Keith." He notices that I can't sit still and barely suppresses a chuckle at me. "Sorry, I'm just so eager to get the day started already." Everyone else has been trickling in and breakfast is served. Looking around, I notice that Lance isn't here yet. As I nibble on a piece of fruit, I notice Keith's face fall and I turn to follow his gaze. Lance just got here and he's still on crutches.

He makes his way to the table and Keith helps him get situated in a chair. "Sorry Princess, it looks like I'm not going to be able to take part today after all. So how about we just go for it right now instead?" He makes a ridiculous face at me. I roll my eyes at him and catch a quick wink from him before I turn away. Looking back at him I raise one eyebrow just slightly and think I see a nod in return from him. I turn my gaze to Keith and purse my lips as I size him up. I then turn back to Lance and do the same thing. If I just read his expression right, I may owe him a favor soon…

"Keith, since you and Lance are about the same size, how about you take his place today? There really isn't time to have another costume made and I don't want to disappoint everyone." He swallows hard and starts scanning the room. He points to one of the guards walking past and asks, "What about him? I think he's about the same size as Lance."

Shaking my head, I point out that the people want to see one of their heroes out there with me. "Please?" I bat my eyes at him and give him my most pathetic look. He gives in and it's all I can do to keep myself from jumping up and cheering. A few minutes later we leave to put on our costumes and fly over to the bridge.

We land on opposite sides of the river and I hop out of Blue Lion. I get into position and wait for Keith to get out of Black Lion. A couple of minutes pass and I still don't see him. He must have decided to check-in with the castle one last time. He finally jumps down with an irritated look on his face and makes his way to the starting point on the far side of the bridge. I make a mental note to ask him about it later.

After making my speech and telling the story to the gathered crowd, I turn to Keith and notice that his expression has brightened. I meet his eyes and smile at him. He returns my grin and I nod my head. We start running towards each other and just before we get to the middle of the bridge, he spreads his arms. I decide to indulge in an impulse and jump at him. I see the look of shock on his face, but he recovers quickly and catches me neatly in his arms. The force of my landing sends us spinning and then we kiss. I'm pretty sure that my heart skips a beat. He slows us down and we finally come to a stop. He moves back a few inches and looks at me. Smiling, I reach up, slide my hand into his hair and pull him down for another kiss. This time when we break the kiss, he looks at me and a single word passes his lips. "Princess?" His eyes search my face for answers to his unspoken questions.

"I've been wondering what that would be like for a while…" I feel myself blushing as I glance up at him.

"And?" I smile in return and with his hand firmly in mine, I head towards Black Lion. Once we make our way inside the cockpit, I turn and look at him. Before I can say another word, he grabs me in his arms and his lips are on mine again. I reach up and run my fingers through his hair as time slows to a halt. There is only him, only me, only this place in this moment. His hands slip around my waist and creep up my back, holding me ever closer to him. I reach up and cup his face at the jawline. We stop to catch our breath and he flops into the command seat, pulling me with him to land on his lap. With his arms still firmly around my midsection, he searches my face for a minute before speaking.

"We should probably talk about this, Allura. Nanny and Coran are not going to be happy about what happened out there. I'm sure they were just expecting me to give you a kiss on the cheek. I don't think they are going to be as forgiving about your flying leap or that second kiss."

"I don't care, Keith. It's about time I got to follow my own heart and make my own decisions. I don't want a prince. I want you…" I gaze into his eyes and then kiss the tip of his nose.

He chuckles and hugs me to him. "I wish it was that easy, Princess. But you know they are going to insist that you need to find a royal prince to marry."

"Then they are going to be disappointed. There is nothing that a prince can offer me that you can't. I go along with most of what they ask of me. I won't back down on this and that's my final word on the matter."

"OK, just as long as you know what you're getting yourself into." He kisses me again and it leaves me breathless. "I would have understood if you chose to follow tradition, but I have to admit that I'm glad that you chose to make your stand about this."

I smile at him and trace his lips with my finger. He responds by grasping my hand and planting a kiss on it. The com unit beeps with an incoming message from the castle. I give him one last quick kiss before standing up so that he can take the call. It's time to start facing our new reality.


End file.
